Estate Planning Lawyers for Kentucky
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Meet some of our Kentucky Estate Planning Lawyers
Garrett M.
Attorney Garrett Mayleben's practice is focused on representing small businesses and the working people that make them profitable. He represents companies in structuring and negotiating merger, acquisition, and real estate transactions; guides emerging companies through the startup phase; and consults with business owners on corporate governance matters. Garrett also practices in employment law, copyright and trademark law, and civil litigation. Though industry agnostic, Garrett has particular experience representing medical, dental, veterinary, and chiropractic practices in various business transactions, transitions, and the structuring of related management service organizations (MSOs).
"Though I found a few small mistakes that made me think he rushed a bit, he revised the agreement to be more in my favor. His expertise was well worth it."
Elisher W.
Attorney licensed in Kentucky and Ohio with four years experience in real estate transactional law (commercial and residential), litigation, construction law, and IP licensing. I have substantial experience in drafting and reviewing contracts as complex as billion dollar mining financing down to simple settlement agreements.
July 13, 2020
Dillon N.
My practice has involved a wide range of legal matters from commercial real estate, finance and international business transactions to litigation matters including commercial disputes, real estate, employment, and medical malpractice. Proficient in Spanish, I graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law, the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, and the University of Southern California. Prior to my legal career, I sought diverse professional experiences. After graduating from college, I orchestrated my own volunteering experience in southern Peru with a small non-profit organization. Later I gained valuable professional experience as part of a U.S. Senate campaign, and after that I joined the public policy team at Greater Louisville, Inc., Louisville's Chamber of Commerce affiliate. Prior to law school, I embarked on a month long excursion with the Northern Outdoor Leadership School in Alaska, which gave me a new found appreciation for sustainability.
Nichole C.
October 22, 2021
Nichole C.
Licensed attorney in KY and Federally JD, 2006 University of Louisville MBA, 2006 University of Louisville BS, 2001 Berea College Licensed Title Agent Arbitrator and Certified Mediator Business Consultant Adjunct Professor, Law and Business
August 23, 2025
Alexander C.
I am a solo practitioner that runs my own legal practice. I am currently licensed in 16 states and I'm working to expand that reach.
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Daniel K.
I graduated from Yale University magna cum laude, served as a Fulbright Scholar in Italy and attended UC Berkeley School of Law. In 2023, I was named a "Legal Visionary" by the Los Angeles Times. I have broad experience in corporate transactions and in serving as outside general counsel to clients. I started my legal career in Silicon Valley and Hong Kong working on large equity and debt financings and matters for private wealth clients. After returning home to Los Angeles, I advised startup companies with formations, acquisitions and day-to-day matters such as sales contracts and licensing. More recently, I have focused on data, IT and SaaS contracts for both providers and customers. My clients include NASDAQ-listed companies, a top ranked children’s hospital and local startups.
"Daniel assisted me with a project that had a relatively quick turnaround and provided thoughtful and thorough feedback. Highly recommend!"
Casey B.
I have a Juris Doctorate degree from Mercer Law School, and I am an active member of the Georgia State Bar Association. I have spent the last eight years reviewing, drafting, editing, and negotiating hundreds of contracts on a monthly basis, working in-house for a Fortune 500 company. I am a results-driven, self-motivated, experienced contracts attorney with exceptional drafting, research and communication abilities.
"Working with Casey was a breeze. He was very responsive, professional, and thorough, and made the process easy for me. Super helpful, and would work with him again."
October 10, 2023
Jessica G.
Nevada Attorney with experiences in outside general counsel representation, contract drafting, and civil litigation.
October 12, 2023
James D. F.
Unique Hybrid Background ➲ Deep Legal, Tech & Commercial Experience More by pure chance than design, I arrived late in life to pursue a career in law. My background spans more than 3 decades across Information Technology, entrepreneurship & the legal profession supporting my claim to being a 'Deep Generalist'. What is a 'Deep Generalist'? 'The professionals who develop into really great client advisors are deep generalists.' Quote from Warren Bennis. From 2013 I worked for established boutique property, finance & commercial law firms + an award-winning #newlaw firm of senior lawyers (formerly Nexus Law Group, now merged with Arch.law) before founding my digital law firm Blue Ocean Law Group in 2017. I also worked part-time for 2 years as a freelance online expert across all aspects of Australian Law with JustAnswer (H.Q. in San Francisco) and volunteered at the Caxton Legal Centre to give back to the community. Now I offer pro bono (free) legal assistance at my discretion. My achievements in the law are best reflected in the high number of settlements where civil litigation has been avoided, court judgements (incl. successful appeals) in my clients' favour & [90+] testimonials which can be seen on the blueocean.law [700+] page website which offers tons [585+] of both free & paid innovative legal products & resources. My personal experience as a client on the other side of legal matters affords me a unique perspective and goes some way to explaining my passion for the reinvention of the delivery of legal services. I am an early adopter of technology + gadgets, an avid reader and an animal lover. In January 2023, I joined the IAPP – International Association of Privacy Professionals and became a Certified Information Privacy Professional – United States by gaining the highly valued gold-standard ANSI-Accredited CIPP/US credential. I followed this up in August 2023, by obtaining the Certified in CyberSecurity qualification form ISC(2). Pre-Law Background From 1992 to 2002, I worked for Accenture as an IT Project Manager across APAC (including long-term project assignments in New Zealand & Singapore). I started a small business side hustle in 1997 and in 2003 I left Accenture to become a full-time entrepreneur in the transport industry. I later expanded into the mezzanine property development finance market as well as venturing into small-scale property development.Unique Hybrid Background
October 15, 2023
Kchris G.
My name is Kchris Griffin. I am an licensed attorney practicing Family and Civil Law in Oklahoma. My goal is to help those in need with receiving efficient and effective legal services.
Drew M.
Drew Melville is a Florida and Massachusetts-licensed attorney with fourteen years' experience in real estate transactions, title insurance and land use. His practice includes all aspects of commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint venture formation, leasing and land use approvals. Mr. Melville is a title agent for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, First American Title Insurance Company, and Stewart Title Guaranty Company. Mr. Melville's practice is national in scope, and he brings a creative and solution-oriented approach to his clients' diverse array of real estate investment and development activities in all real estate asset classes. These often include urban infill, adaptive reuse, affordable and workforce housing, historic preservation, sustainable building, brownfield or gray-field redevelopment and opportunity zones. Prior to starting his own firm, he was an in house counsel for the real estate development subsidiary of a large, diversified land and agribusiness company. To date, Mr. Melville has closed over $1.2 billion in commercial real estate transactions.
Hao L.
Florida Licensed Attorney & CFA® Charterholder Specializing in Immigration, Taxation, Aviation, Bankruptcy, Estate & Succession, and Business & Civil Litigation
Estate Planning Legal Questions and Answers
Estate Planning
Durable Power of Attorney for Finances
Kentucky
Who do I get for power of attorney
I need questions answered my husband just passed so do I need to get a power of attorney while I m at my right mind
Randy M.
A power of attorney (POA) is only effective while the person who created it (the “principal”) is alive. Once the principal dies, the POA automatically ends. That means you cannot use your husband’s POA now that he has passed, and any authority you may have had under a POA he gave you is no longer valid. The law is uniform on this point across all U.S. states. After death, the legal authority to handle someone’s affairs shifts to the executor named in their will or, if no will exists, to an administrator appointed by the probate court. As the surviving spouse, you typically have priority to be appointed as administrator if your husband left no will. This is the process by which debts, taxes, and distributions of property are handled. Why You Should Still Consider a Power of Attorney Although you don’t need a POA for your husband, you may want to create one for yourself while you’re mentally capable. This is an important part of estate planning and ensures that if you ever become incapacitated, someone you trust can step in seamlessly. There are two key types of POA most people establish: 1. Durable Financial Power of Attorney: Authorizes your agent (sometimes called attorney-in-fact) to manage financial matters—paying bills, handling banking, managing property—if you can’t. It’s “durable” because it remains valid even if you lose capacity. 2. Healthcare Power of Attorney (or Healthcare Proxy): Authorizes your agent to make medical decisions if you’re unable to speak for yourself. Most people also prepare a living will/advance directive alongside a healthcare POA. This document sets out your specific wishes for end-of-life treatment so your agent isn’t left guessing. Choosing the Right Agent The choice of agent is vital. This person will hold significant authority, and you should only appoint someone you trust completely. Common choices include an adult child, a close family member, or a trusted friend. In more complex cases, some people name a professional fiduciary or financial institution. When deciding, weigh these factors: • Trustworthiness and integrity: They’ll be in a position to make decisions that directly affect your finances or health. • Financial responsibility: Especially relevant if they’ll be handling your money. • Willingness and availability: Make sure the person accepts the responsibility in advance. • Location: It’s not a strict requirement, but someone nearby can often act more quickly when urgent matters arise. It’s also wise to name a successor agent in case your first choice is unable or unwilling to serve. Immediate Steps After Losing a Spouse Separate from your own planning, you’ll likely need to address your husband’s estate. If he had a will, the executor named there should take the lead. If there’s no will, you can apply to probate court to be appointed administrator. Alongside that, you may need to update your own estate planning documents, review and change beneficiary designations, and notify Social Security, banks, and insurance companies. An estate attorney can guide you through both the probate process and setting up your own documents. The attorneys here on Contracts Counsel would be happy to assist you.
Estate Planning
Life Insurance Trust
Kentucky
If a life insurance policy owner dies and the insured is still alive and it is a life insurance policy with cash value that the policy owner had taken out a loan against with the policy so withdrew some of the cash value and were not legally liable to pay that debt to the policy back, does the executor have to pay that debt to the cash value off?
My mom had a life insurance policy on my younger adult sister. My mom was the policy owner and my adult sister is the insured. My mom passed in 2022. The life insurance policy she had on my sister had cash value on it and my mom had taken some of that out when she built her house about 20 years ago. As the executor, am I required to pay that back, since my mom wasn't actually required to put the money back in the cash value if she didn't want to? Is it considered a debt that I need to pay out of the estate? The estate has the funds to pay it but I wasn't sure if it was required to pay.
Randy M.
When a policy owner takes out a loan against a life insurance policy’s cash value, that loan is secured entirely by the policy itself. It’s not a personal liability of the policy owner, and it doesn’t become a debt of the estate. The insurer tracks the outstanding balance and deducts it from the policy’s value. In your situation, your mother was the owner of a policy insuring your sister’s life. She borrowed against its cash value years ago. Because she wasn’t legally required to repay the loan during her lifetime, the obligation doesn’t shift to her estate. As executor, you don’t treat that loan as a claim against estate assets. The only impact is on the policy itself: the loan plus interest reduces the cash value if surrendered, or the death benefit if your sister eventually dies while the policy is still in force. What Happens After the Owner Dies Since your mother has passed and the insured (your sister) is still alive, the policy itself becomes part of the estate unless a contingent owner was named. That means you may have temporary control as executor. At this point you have several options: 1. Maintain the policy by continuing premiums if required. The loan remains in place and will keep accruing interest, which reduces the policy’s value. 2. Transfer ownership to your sister or another beneficiary under the will or intestacy laws. The new owner takes the policy subject to the outstanding loan. 3. Surrender the policy for its remaining net cash value, which will already reflect a reduction for the loan balance. 4. Allow the policy to lapse by discontinuing premium payments, though that wastes any remaining value. The right choice depends on the estate’s circumstances, your sister’s wishes, and whether preserving coverage has practical value. Executor’s Responsibilities Your duty as executor is to collect estate assets, pay valid debts and expenses, and distribute the remainder under the will or state law. Since policy loans are not debts of the estate, you don’t repay them out of general funds. The insurance company enforces repayment internally by adjusting the policy value. The only estate-level question is whether to hold, transfer, or surrender the policy itself. Review the Policy Contract You should review the actual policy contract to confirm ownership and rights after your mother’s death, as terms can vary. If the estate inherited the policy, the insurer will require documentation before you can act. For guidance on transferring ownership and managing the policy, it’s best to consult an estate attorney in your jurisdiction. Contracts Counsel can connect you with experienced estate attorneys who can assist with this process.
Estate Planning
Power of Attorney
North Carolina
Trying to become a poa
My uncle needs a power of attorney
Holly T.
A POA is best done through an attorney to ensure the verifying/interested parties are proper, the agreement includes what the principal wants, the principal is competent in case of a challenge and it's filed properly if necessary, for example if it will be used to transfer property. All persons should have a POA, HCPOA, Advanced Directives and Will. You can also pull the POA form out of the general statutes of NC. The form is included in the law.
Estate Planning
Last Will and Testament
Florida
What is a will, and why is it important to have one?
I am a married adult with two children and I am looking to secure my family's future. I am concerned about what will happen to my assets and my family if something were to happen to me. I want to make sure that my wishes are respected and that my family is taken care of, so I am looking to learn more about wills and how they can help me.
Diane D.
A will allows you to select the persons who you want to receive what you own when you die. Without a will, the court may step in and distribute your assets according to your state's law. With a will, you control what happens with your property, and you can leave specific property to specific persons, and you can appoint specific persons to manage and handle distributing your property. Having a Will can save your heirs significant expense during probate and prevent feuding among them.
Estate Planning
Power of Attorney
Illinois
I am my brother's payee I am planning on moving another state my brother has had two aneurysms do I need power of attorney to move him to another state
My mom just died in 2020 February she was controlling the household I was living in Wisconsin when my mother died I was the only son capable taking care of things financially and mentally my oldest brother have had two aneurysms when my mom died I had to take care of my oldest brother and my youngest brother which he died the same day as my mom and my dad since then my oldest brother has lost his eyesight and he can't remember a lot of things I just want to know I am new to this do I need power of attorney to move my brother to another state
T. Phillip B.
You don't necessarily need a POA to move him to another state if he is agreeing to move. But at some point you'll need a POA (if he has the capacity to sign one) or to become his guardian.
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